Prepping the December catch for genetic #sequencing. Most of this plate is the bug Trioza urticae, which are found in nettles and we have absolutely loads at the living labs! Interesting to see their numbers grow over the past few weeks— maybe this is the peak? #nature #entomology #genomics #BIOSCAN

This was such an excellent listen. As someone from a #workingclass background I really related to this!

Excited to launch the new improved Reproducible Code guide from @britishecologicalsociety.org @methodsinecoevol.bsky.social FREE online here! www.britishecologicalsociety.org//wp-content/... Amazing work by some very talented ECRs. We hope it’s useful!

New baby Grammistola pulcripies! This is an extremely addictive hobby… #Tarantula #Bugsky

After a years of deciding on a second tarantula I finally landed on one I’ve had my eye on for years. Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens. I love them. Hungry all the time and dashed so fast it scared the life out of me. Good fun! #BugSky

This gets published but my manuscript has been with the editor for 2 months 😢

they are removing a big australian beach christmas artwork from redfern station (a huge train station) because it's ai garbage. kangaroos have koala heads and some animals have missing limbs and one of them is WEARING A BRA

Anyone considering doing a #PhD with us at the OU in life science or #environment ILESLA is a fantastic opportunity to take part in a world class PhD training programme, find out more this Wednesday

Watson was deeply influential to me as a genomicist, but not how you may assume From stealing Rosalind Franklin's lab notes to his frequent sexist & racist bioessentialist comments later in life, he showed how the scientific community would still worship a terrible person Don't idolize bad people

🤔 ‘One day it struck me that the world would be a very different place if environmental crimes were treated in the same way as murders. So, why aren’t they? And should they be?’ #ecocidelaw #greencrime www.theguardian.com/books/2025/o...

The Government has tabled 67 last-minute amendments to the Planning & Infrastructure Bill.‼️ Rushed through with little scrutiny, it’s a shambolic way to reform the planning system. It creates confusion, sidelines science and leaves nature dangerously exposed. (1/3)

We're excited to welcome our Oct #OUGradSch25 PhD cohort to campus today! We can’t wait to hear about their research journeys. On Fri, we’ll also welcome Professional Doctorate students. Also welcome to the first PhD by Distance Learning cohort! @oulibrary.bsky.social @openuniversity.bsky.social

PhD researcher Elaine Hooton is shining a spotlight on geodiversity and calling for a shift in how we talk about the non-living foundations of our planet. Elaine shared this inspiring photo of geodiversity in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Read more 👉 research.open.ac.uk/news/giving-...

The far right turnout today is much smaller than the number of people who came to protest at London Trans Pride this year, but the far right will of course get infinitely more press coverage.

My governing body, the British Psychological Society (@bpsofficial.bsky.social) is also highly critical of the EHRC Code of Practice. Thank you, BPS, for making this public statement. www.bps.org.uk/psychologist...

📣 New research, including @savebutterflies.bsky.social #citizenscience data, shows winners & losers across >1200 insect species in Britain since 1990. Urbanisation identified as major driver of decline for moths, ladybirds & hoverflies www.nature.com/articles/s41... 🌍 🦋🐞🦗🪲🐝

Not enough people know about Hotwheels Sysiphus #spider en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotwhee...

New PhD position: Butterfly Conservation Genomics 🦋 The project focuses on threatened butterflies in Czech dry grasslands and steppes. Deadline: September 12, 2025 More info: pavelmatos.wordpress.com/join-us/

Beautiful Marbled (Eublemma purpurina) and what a stunning little moth. The stand out moth in the moth trap last night in North East Essex. @moths.uk #teammoths @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social #savebutterflies #irecord

A meta-analysis found that high-density managed honeybee populations can: 👉disrupt local biodiversity🌏 👉reduce pollinator richness🧪 👉alter plant-pollinator relationships🐝 ...all with minimal benefits to crop yields! Calls for evidence-based hive density guidelines 📑 🔗 doi.org/10.1111/1365...

Perils of relying on AI in #research: just had an algorithm tell me that it has heard a Great #Bittern in the courtyard of the OU campus with 92% confidence. I can see why it’s made that assumption cos the car it’s picked up going over a speed bump does sound a little bit like booming!

I did a #BigButterflyCount earlier and almost all the butterflies vanished but just now this happened! I’m guessing one female and a lot of males? Never seen so many together in the garden. @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Are butterflies doing better this year? Yes! ✅ Is that a good thing for nature? Yes! ✅ Do I put a downer on some positive butterfly news? Yes! ✅ (sorry) theconversation.com/why-the-uks-... #butterflies #nature #bugsky 🌍

It’s rained pretty much constantly since I wrote this. Good news!

Tomorrow is the day! 🦋🎉 It’s the start of the Big Butterfly Count. Between the 18 July - 10 August, spend 15 minutes recording the butterflies that you see. 1️⃣ Download the Big Butterfly Count App 2️⃣ Register 3️⃣ Get Recording #savebutterflies #bigbutterflycount

Are butterflies doing better this year? Yes! ✅ Is that a good thing for nature? Yes! ✅ Do I put a downer on some positive butterfly news? Yes! ✅ (sorry) theconversation.com/why-the-uks-... #butterflies #nature #bugsky 🌍

No more Beewashing please! Why beekeeping doesn't help conserve bees. Pls RT if you agree. youtu.be/fiBYBmlKSYU

It’s a privilege to look outside my office window and see so many #butterflies! #bugsky 🌍

I never get tired of seeing a hummingbird hawk #moth! #bugsky 🌍

Perfect weather for #butterflies, they’re everywhere today!

The Open University interviewed me for their Meet the Student feature! Learn more about pursuing a PhD in Creative Writing, and about my new book: www.linkedin.com/pulse/novel-...

Was recently in Paris and saw a large wall brown butterfly (I think!). It was in the kitchen garden of this amazing hamlet at Versailles. Lovely to see a new species in the wild!

I’ve finally submitted my #PhD thesis about urban woodland #butterflies! It has been one of the most challenging but fulfilling experience of my life. The past year being especially difficult, but I would do it over again… just so happens that I never have to!! @ougradsch.bsky.social

Forgot the window was open and this beautiful Brimstone #moth landed on my monitor! #bugsky 🌍

My 1st Swallowtail of the year at Strumpshaw yesterday @norfolkbutterflies.bsky.social

We're collecting data and stories on what the appalling Supreme Court decision means for trans and gender non conforming people. Lawyers will review all responses - please share your story because if we don't know we can't act. (And please share with friends.) goodlawproject.org/about/trans-...

We have a Research Experience Placement with Dr Phil Wheeler advertised for this summer via @centa.bsky.social: centa.ac.uk/centa-resear... Project title: Using 3D models from smartphone video to assess urban tree crown volume

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Great ride management by the parks trust showing a benefit for #butterflies! Lots of peacock, speckled woods and comma down here today.

Fun day filming some module content with @woointhewoods.bsky.social for a new module at the OU. Was surprisingly difficult to remember 3 minutes script! @ougradsch.bsky.social

A few brimstone, peacock, green-veined white and comma seen on a walk today. So nice to see the woods finally wake up!

Time to dive into the 2024 @ukbms.bsky.social results. Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) had its worst year since monitoring began. This was also the case in each of the 4 UK countries separately. It’s had 10 below average years in a row now and has declined by a staggering 86% since 1976.

Orange tip #butterfly on the @ougradsch.bsky.social campus today!

The dire of state of #butterflies and nature in general can be pretty depressing, but it helps to think of the brilliant work @savebutterflies.bsky.social are doing!

The Dartington Forest Garden is threatened with destruction by landlords the Dartington Trust. It took >30 years to grow, and is a wonderful example of a radically different approach to food & fibre production. Please sign the petition, and share. www.agroforestry.co.uk/save-darting...

Sir Keir has misrepresented the impact of conservation on housing in Ebbsfleet. The majority of the homes are going ahead. The distinguished jumping spider isn’t even in the development area, but it is a precious habitat. Let's move beyond nature vs. growth - sustainable development benefits us all.

The section section of the conference proceedings relate to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. These papers were written in a supportive environment, where they received encouraging and constructive peer reviews giving authors a valuable positive experience.

Today we launch the inaugural proceedings from our annual eSTEeM conference (eek! 😃). The papers, were written in a supportive environment, where peer reviews were constructive and positive, allowing new authors valuable experience in academic writing whist showcasing #SoTL within #STEM.

Please sign to keep the Prince Charles Cinema open, it's the only place you can go to see a Quote Along Withnail and I, and finish the evening delightedly reeking of Deep Heat. We can't let this palace of joy get squashed like everything else!

Congratulations on your viva, Elisa Oliveira da Costa! #ProudSupervisor @geologyclare.bsky.social